Disaster at Canoga Falls Part Two

Senator Sherman settled onto a comfortable sofa aboard his bus for the ride to Canoga Falls. It wasn’t long before he was lulled to sleep by the constant growl of the diesel engine. He, of course, railed against “Big Oil” everywhere he went on the stump, but thought nothing of traveling the country in a campaign bus which got about five miles to the gallon. He was all for conserving the resource as long as someone else did the conserving. He slept peacefully for a couple of hours. It was much needed. The campaign trail is not a restful situation and one must grab sleep whenever it becomes available. He awoke from his nap feeling energized and on top of his game.

He was to be joined in Canoga Falls by his wife, Marietta. They’d been married for thirty years and had three children together. She was the definition of a trophy wife back when they were first married, but had tarnished as trophies tend to over the passage of time. She was still attractive according to everyone he knew including the media, but not to him. He was the type of man who was never satisfied. He was always on the prowl for a younger, newer model. It wasn’t that he wanted to replace his wife. That would never do. It would cause a scandal and he didn’t plan to allow that to happen. He’d seen affairs take down too many qualified men. All he wanted was an occasional fling. Amanda Delaney kept popping into his mind, but becoming involved with a reporter was out of the question.

It was late afternoon when they rolled into Canoga Falls. Ed Sherman hoped that all the hype about his visit would pay off. President Caldwell hadn’t been near. He said that going to Canoga Falls personally would only serve to further disrupt an already hampered recovery. Senator Sherman intended to fully capitalize on Caldwell’s absence by making him seem as cold, uncaring, and distant as possible. He had to make every effort to justify his own stop here by appearing helpful and hopeful.  The bus drove into the small downtown area and came to a stop.

The place was filled with assorted media and Sherman stepped out followed by Secret Service and a few of his advisers, who prepped him for the final hour of the trip. Their candidate was certainly not above making his share of verbal gaffs, so they remained ever vigilant. They had carefully coached him and were hoping this event would go off without a hitch.

They pushed through the microphones without much trouble. The candidate stopped to answer a few brief questions a couple of times, but quickly pressed forward toward a hastily built stage in the middle of a bombed out grocery store.

Marietta was already there warming up a sparse crowd. She was offering her condolences and explaining what her husband would do differently if he was President. When she saw him approaching, she introduced him to the sound of light applause. She smiled faintly and handed him the microphone.

The Senator began his speech which was highly anticipated by the news media that needed constant fodder for the twenty-four seven news cycle. The speech contained nothing of real import. It was a string of slogans and empty promises. He did level a healthy dose of blame on the current President’s shoulders. Most people seemed annoyed by the presence of Senator Sherman. He wasn’t bringing any real help with him. He didn’t have that kind of power. It sounded like what it was: empty campaign rhetoric. Before he finished, many in the little crowd began to boo and walk away. Sherman did a quick wrap up and exited the stage followed by his wife.

They spent the rest of that afternoon doing the only useful thing they’d done in a long time. They helped hand out water and other necessary items for the Red Cross. Sherman took his jacket off, rolled up his sleeves, and went to work. It made for good coverage and people seemed to warm up to him more than during his speech. His silver hair glinted in the late day sun and he appeared as caring as he did dignified. It was an altogether glorious way to end the visit and he knew it was bound to boost him in the polls.

President Caldwell was finally getting a move-on. Aid was beginning to flow, housing would soon start becoming available, and he would look much better. When the small city was up to it, he’d make his own appearance. He’d decided that Sherman must be taken down and taken down hard. He was aware that the Senator had ties to certain militia outfits. From all he’d learned one such group was the likely culprit in the bombings at Canoga Falls. If Ed Sherman could be linked to the group or even one similar in nature, it would be curtains for him.

To be continued…